Flange Connection Surface Layout for Leak-Tight Thermal Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flange connections in internal combustion engines face challenges in achieving leakage tightness, particularly when the distance between bolts or screws is high, leading to uneven contact pressure and restricted thermal expansion, which are often addressed by increasing the number of screws or redesigning the geometry, resulting in additional costs.
Innovation Solution
The flange connection element features a contact surface that does not completely surround the bolts or screws, with supporting parts that create a clearance and a recess in the side surfaces to distribute contact pressure more evenly and allow for thermal movement, reducing edge loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the distance between bolts or screws is increased to accommodate a rectangular shaped interface, then the mounting space is optimized, but the contact pressure becomes uneven with high values around screw holes and low values in the center, reducing leakage tightness
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface is designed with non-uniform geometry where the distance to surrounding bolts varies in different regions. Specifically, the contact surface extends closer to bolts in corner regions and maintains greater distance in central regions, creating locally optimized pressure distribution that ensures adequate contact pressure throughout the entire interface without requiring additional bolts
Solution Approach 2:
The contact surface geometry is made asymmetric relative to the bolt positions, with intentionally unequal distances from different portions of the contact surface to surrounding bolts. This asymmetric design compensates for the natural tendency of pressure concentration around bolt holes by providing extended contact areas in regions that would otherwise experience lower pressure
2Reliability
If the number of screws is increased to improve contact pressure distribution, then leakage tightness is improved, but additional costs and mounting space are required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing the number of bolts throughout the interface, the invention optimizes the local geometry of the contact surface in specific regions. By extending the contact surface in certain areas and reducing it in others, the design achieves improved pressure distribution using the existing bolt configuration, avoiding the need for additional fasteners
3Reliability
If high contact pressure is applied around screw holes to improve sealing, then leakage tightness at edges is improved, but the flange is prevented from performing necessary relative movement under thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface geometry is locally optimized to provide extended contact areas in corner regions where bolts are positioned, allowing these regions to accommodate thermal expansion movements while maintaining adequate sealing pressure. The varying distance design ensures that pressure is distributed in a way that permits necessary flange movement without compromising seal integrity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances leakage tightness while reducing costs and maintaining structural integrity by evenly distributing contact pressure and allowing for thermal expansion without the need for additional components or redesign.
Implementation Method 1
it is important that the pressure is equally distributed over the contact surface of the flange connection
Implementation Method 2
the flange is prevented from performing the necessary relative movement under thermal expansion of the flange
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention comprises a component having a flange connection element connectable to a flange connection counterpart of another component by bolts and/or screws, the flange connection element comprising a contact surface to be pressed against a contact surface of the flange connection counterpart, whereby the contact surface of the flange connection element is formed such that it does not completely surround at least one of the bolts and/or screws. Alternatively or in addition, the flange connection element may have a recess in at least one of its side surfaces using the contact pressure in an edge part of the contact surface extending below the recess.